A significant portion of the Labs activities is the production of high-quality and unique biologicals that are not available from commercial sources. On average, the Unit performs around 100 processes per year, which include fermentation of bacteria, yeast, insect cells, and mammalian cells (in volumes ranging from 2 to 200 liters), and recovery and purification of biomolecules, such as proteins and polysaccharides, from different sources. The following are examples of processes performed: growth of bacteria like Escherichia coli, (recombinant and native), Salmonella, Shighella, Staphylococcus, Haemophilus influenzae, N. meningitidis (meningococcus), Borrelia burgdorferi, Halobacteria, Bronchaseptica sp, Micobacteria sp, and various recombinant yeast strains like Pichia pastoris. In addition, mammalian cells such as HeLa, CHO, MDCK and HEK 293, and insect cell such Sf 9, and High five for transient expression of recombinant proteins were propagated. Several proteins were produced and purified in gram quantities. Examples are: recombinant Clostridium difficle toxin A, recombinant human adiponectin, recombinant pseudomonas aeruginasa exotoxin A, recombinant Diphtheria toxin and recombinant Plasmodium proteins for malaria vaccine research. The various products were needed for a number of collaborative research projects: human adiponectin was made for biological studies, the bacterial toxins for vaccine development and several proteins were produced for structural studies among them Toll proteins.